Northern Plains Ethics Institute to host discussion on 'fake news'

04/04/2018

Dennis Cooley

The Northern Plains Ethics Instituteat NDSU is set to hold a second panel session addressing “fake news” in our communities. The session is scheduled for Thursday, April 26, at 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Minard 230 at NDSU.

The panel will focus on how to address the issue using a community-based approach, and was created in response to the continued community demand from the institute’s 2017 panel on the same topic.

Panelists are set to include:

• Scott Hennen, radio talk show host on KFYR, WZFG, KTGO and KLTC

• Kirsten Stromstodt, editor, Grand Forks Herald and University of North Dakota lecturer

“In response from community demand, we created this panel to continue the work of last year’s panel on the same topic,” said Dennis Cooley, institute director. “Everyone is welcome to attend and participate in the continuing community conversation on a central issue affecting our representative democracy and country.”

The panel will address the causes, consequences and cures to fake news. Its working definition of fake news is objectively false information that has a strong element of propaganda. Panelists will consider questions such as what caused the era of fake news, why people believe fake news, and what can be reasonably done to deal with fake news in such a way that the right to a free press and speech are preserved while people are able to obtain necessary information they need as citizens to make informed decisions.